Wireless networks offer many advantages over traditional wireline connections. Wireless networks can be found at almost any location, for example, in large cities, businesses or even homes. At any given moment, a mobile or wireless device can be in range of a network that can offer local services to the user. Allowing open and free access to this network, however, is not always desirable. One disadvantage of current systems is allowing access to these services to some while preventing others. Based on the user, it is also difficult to determine which services to provide. To further explain these disadvantages, a number of examples are provided below.
In a first example, a consumer enters into their local building supply store to find an item. All the floor personnel are busy serving other consumers. The consumer needs to find out which isle the item is in and further, to know in advance if it is in stock. If the consumer can get the internal customer service number, a store map or access to the store inventory, they can quickly address the issue. Access to a WiFi™, Picocell, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication (DECT) or fixed network is handled by an administrator. A unique device attribute, such as a Media Access Control (MAC) address or an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEC) is required to be programmed before network access is given. Alternatively, a username and password can be used. As the device attributes need to be setup in advance, this poses a significant disadvantage. When the administrator modifies the network access credentials, which happens frequently, attempting to connect to the network fails.
The consumer could use their mobile devices' carrier Internet connection to access the store website to obtain customer service information. Alternately, or if the consumer has no data contract with the carrier, they can also access “411” or other voice directory services to obtain data to call the store for assistance. Often this is front ended by an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) to direct calls to the proper area of service. This number can be permanently stored in the contacts, but persistent storage of rarely used numbers has its own problems. Repeatedly using “411” or other means of obtaining contacts can be costly in terms of carrier charges for directory assistance or internet access. Calls can incur toll charges despite being answered locally within the Private Branch Exchange (PBX) infrastructure of the building, often by an individual only meters away.
Current mobile devices do not provide a means for data, such as a phone number, obtained through internet browsing to be automatically added to the consumer's carrier based mobile device. Some 411 systems can send an SMS containing the requested number, but it is often the task of the mobile owner to add the obtained contact information manually using the phone interface or a PC based application. Due to limited screen real estate, if the number cannot be remembered during entry, the user must access multiple screens back and forth to complete the task. These methods (carrier internet or 411) can incur charges for phone usage.
In a second example, an employee works for a multi-national corporation and travels around the world visiting corporate offices. The employee's company uses a Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) solution that guarantees that they can always be reached, but their calls are always routed through their main office in Ottawa, Canada. This solution includes a softphone client using WiFi™, but the WiFi™ network credentials are independently managed by each office and change frequently due to security reasons. Once the employee sets this up, their roaming charges are reduced by using the internal network, but from the enterprise network perspective, the employee's location is assumed to be Ottawa. Any calls local to the user in Germany are actually charged as long distance from Ottawa, incurring costs to the company. For example, the employee has a speed call for a taxi, but it is for Ottawa. The company cafeteria number is also for Canada, as is the corporate speech activated employee directory number. To resolve these issues the employee needs to know data relevant to the current office they are in. Furthermore, local calls should originate from the local Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) breakout associated with their location, for example, Germany, and not from the location associated with their business extension, for example, Ottawa.
In a third example, a frequent traveler is a member of an elite consumer rewards program with a hotel chain. One hotel within the chain offers the traveler a complimentary Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) client for their mobile phone during their stay in the hotel. This phone is twinned with their room phone and allows them to make and receive calls. At each hotel the traveler visits, the client must be reconfigured to the local network. The traveler wants the hotel chain to provide a client that operates in all of its hotels consistently, and has the same services that can easily be accessed without knowing the various numbers for each location. Often on guest networks, the traveler requests for access to the network from the front desk. This requires an identification number to be provided which is entered from the device. This number, however, changes frequently for security reasons causing a number of issues.
In each of these examples, the devices are considered transient to the network such that they are not always connected, or infrequently connected. A need exists for a device to obtain data and access to a local area network while removing those issues described above. Once access is achieved, the device should be able to receive a list of services to determine if possible information exists to assist them. These, as well as other related advantages, will be described in the present disclosure.